> Have we any evidence of nest parasitism (sorry, don't know the correct
term
> for one species laying its eggs in the nest of another), now that we are
> seeing more and more dino egg sites? (question stimulated by
Attenboroughs
> "Life of Birds").
The theropod nest discovered in Lourinhã, Portugal, had 5 crocodile eggs
among 100 theropod eggs in the nest. Is only a hypothesis but It could be
nest parasitism (or not).
> On a related note, but slightly off-topic so please reply off-line, how
do
> young birds such as a cuckoo sort out who it should mate with? I thought
> that hatchlings becamed "fixated" to the nearest moving object when
> hatched, so how does a cuckoo know that it is not a robin or reed warbler
> for example.
Parasitic birds, as almost all passerines and columbiforms, do not have
the "imprinting" behaviour ("becamed fixated to the nearest moving object
when hatched") as anseriforms (ducks and geese).
Cordially
Octávio Mateus
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Octávio MATEUS
GEAL- Museu da Lourinhã
Rua João Luis de Moura
2530 Lourinhã
PORTUGAL
Email: museulourinha@mail.telepac.pt
Telefone & Fax: ++351.61.413995
http://portugal.hpv.pt/geal/http://www.terravista.pt/nazare/1723/